1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to powered airships. More particularly, the present invention relates to a highly maneuverable, highly streamlined, light-as-air vehicle that may be powered by a variety of propulsion systems and sources of energy.
2. State of the Art
Long before the Wright brothers' first flight, man has sought to create improved vehicles of flight. From primitive hot air balloons to supersonic jets and reusable spacecraft, the technology of flight is varied and ever-changing. Across this broad spectrum of aircraft technology, however, one factor remains constant. Every airship needs a source of energy to propel the craft through the atmosphere. The traditional energy source is some form of hydrocarbon fuel. Of course, other types of fuels are also used, but in each case, the fuel is eventually spent and the craft must return to the earth for refueling.
In addition, the constant pull of gravity makes it particularly challenging to design and build aircraft with precise maneuverability. Of course, precise maneuverability of aircraft is well known, such as with fighter jets or helicopters, but this maneuverability is obtained largely through powerful, costly engines and complicated flight control systems. Moreover, such maneuverability is generally not accomplished in a confined area, but instead requires significant airspace.
The idea of powering an aircraft using solar energy is not new. U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,089 to Chen discloses an airplane having solar cells that receive solar energy redirected from a satellite in planetary orbit to the surface of the airplane. The aircraft also contains an energy storage device for storing excess energy generated from the redirected rays from the sun. However, the size of such an aircraft having solar cells capable of receiving redirected solar energy from an orbiting satellite is too large for precise maneuverability and is also limited to flying at extremely high altitudes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,284 to Hibbs et al., discloses another solar powered aircraft. But, like the Chen apparatus, this aircraft is also limited to high altitudes and is too large for precise movements. In a preferred embodiment, the Hibbs et al. aircraft has a wing span of 200 feet, which makes the aircraft far too large for operating in small areas.
Thus, there are many aircraft applications that would be enhanced by a light-weight, highly maneuverable airship. For example, such an airship could be used for remote monitoring of earth-based events at a close distance. An aircraft with these characteristics could be used for photography, advertising, surveillance, sports coverage, rescue guidance and a host of other applications. It would be particularly useful to have such an airship with a constant energy source that does not require refueling. Moreover, such an airship powered by solar energy would have negligible fuel costs, would not pollute, would have low maintenance and because it could employ an electric motor for an engine, would be extremely quiet.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a light-weight airship with precise maneuverability. There further exists a need in the art for an aircraft that can operate in a smaller airspace than that required by conventional aircraft. There exists a further need for an airship that is safe and does not pollute.